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Movies / On DVD / The Big Kahuna
The Big Kahuna

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The Big Kahuna (1999)

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Reviews Counted:76

Fresh:56

Rotten:20

Average Rating:6.4/10

Consensus: Wonderful adaptation of the stage play.

Runtime: 1 hr 31 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant... First-time feature director John Swanbeck teams up with producer-actor Kevin Spacey for this big screen adaptation of Roger Rueff's play HOSPITALITY SUITE. The story concerns three lubricant salesmen who have gathered in a Witchita, Kansas hotel room in order to throw a cocktail party for prospective buyers. They are Larry (Spacey), a harsh, cocky veteran; his partner Phil (Danny DeVito), a passive recovering alcoholic; and Bob (Peter Facinelli), a naïve new colleague whose ethics drive Larry into fits of disbelief. The trio waits for the night's arrivals--most specifically, "The Big Kahuna," a man so wealthy that he has the ability to single-handedly revive Larry and Phil's struggling careers. After the party, Larry and Phil are dumbfounded when they discover that Bob actually spoke to him, only their conversation consisted solely of religious dialogue. Larry sends Bob in search of "The Big Kahuna" with the order that he discuss business if he wants to remain employed. The subsequent hours provide each individual with the chance to exorcise his inner demons once and for all. Limited in its usage of locations, Rueff's big-screen adaptation of his play contains inspired performances from Spacey, DeVito, and Facinelli. [More]

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Peter Facinelli

Starring: Kevin Spacey, Danny De Vito, Peter Facinelli

Director: John Swanbeck

Director: John Swanbeck
Screenwriter: Roger Rueff
Producer: Elie Samaha, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Stevens
Composer: Christopher Young

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Big Kahuna

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/17/04
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

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Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
06/17/08
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Variety
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Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
N/R

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Full Review Source: San Francisco Examiner | comment Comment
08/19/06
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
San Francisco Examiner
N/R

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Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Giving actors a chance to act seems to be the point...

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/02/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

At our best, we admit our faults. And we admit that others, no matter how different, have something to teach us. What a surprising thing to learn from a film.

Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
12/06/04
Jeffrey Overstreet
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer

...worth watching just for the performances...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
08/01/03
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

You get the feeling that The Big Kahuna would be great in-the-round theater, its ambiguous machinations benefiting from feeding off of a live audience. As filmed, however, it's just three characters waiting for a story.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Today | comment Comment
07/18/03
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today
N/R

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Full Review Source: Roanoke Times (Virginia) | comment Comment
05/28/03
Beth Jones
Beth Jones
Roanoke Times (Virginia)
N/R

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Full Review Source: Film Blather | comment Comment
05/22/03
Eugene Novikov
Eugene Novikov
Film Blather

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Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/14/03
Jeanne Aufmuth
Jeanne Aufmuth
Palo Alto Weekly

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Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/25/03
Globe and Mail
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
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